Ms. codex

Title supplied by cataloguer

Probably written in Mexico in the 18th century

This catechism is without glosses and it is unclear for which Indian language group it was prepared

Manuscript catechism in Testerian hieroglyphs written on watermarked European paper

In the early period of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, before religious instructors had learned the languages of the indigenous peoples, they used pictorial stories describing basic teachings to spread the Christian Gospel. These catechisms were called Testerians, after Father Jacobo de Testera, a Franciscan priest who pioneered this method of teaching

Hieroglyphs are written on verso and recto of facing leaves; many leaves are blank

John Carter Brown Library copy imperfect: hieroglyphs are much faded and some corners are water stained; some leaves are also torn or delicate and have been repaired with Japanese paper; use should be restricted to facsimile copy where the hieroglyphs are clearer because of the contrast with the paper; catalogued under shelfmark: facsim. 1-SIZE Codex Ind 24

John Carter Brown Library copy is bound up in string and housed in green cloth slipcase measuring 18 cm. high

John Carter Brown Library copy acquired as a gift of George Parker Winship through the JCB Associates

John Carter Brown has bibliographic material on Testerian Catechisms and correspondance housed in JCB bibliographical file

Provenance of the John Carter Brown Library copy: José Maria Agreda: former owner according to JCB Catalogue of manuscript codices

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